Support Grip: How to Train It
Support grip is the ability to keep hold of a load that hangs from the hand: a heavy barbell at the top of a deadlift, a farmer's handle, a pull-up bar. It is mostly isometric. The fingers close around the implement and then resist being pried open for the length of a lift, a hold or a carry. Support grip is the grip type that most often limits other lifting, which is why it is the most widely trained outside grip sport.
Grip sport makes support harder in two main ways: by making the handle thicker, so the hand cannot wrap fully around it, and by making it rotate, so the grip cannot settle. Each has its own implements and training, covered below.
Key facts
- A standard barbell is about 1.1" (28 mm) thick. A competition axle is 2" (50 mm).
- Fat Gripz attachments come in 1.75", 2.25" and 2.75" diameters.
- Rolling Thunder's handle is 2-3/8" (60 mm) and rotates freely.
- Start thick-bar and rolling-handle work at roughly 50 to 70 percent of your normal deadlift.
Standard bar support
Ordinary bars and dumbbells are the foundation. Useful exercises are deadlift and rack holds, farmer's walks and suitcase carries, and dead hangs from a pull-up bar. Towel hangs and rope climbing are harder variations that also load the hand in an awkward position. Work done for time on these is the core of grip endurance training, which covers hangs and timed holds in more detail.
Thick bars
A thicker handle forces the hand to work harder for the same load, because the fingers and thumb cannot overlap and the grip relies more on the hand staying open under tension. Thick-bar work builds hand and forearm strength, carries over directly to deadlift and pulling grip, and is the basis of axle events.
Equipment
- Clip-on attachments. Fat Gripz fit over any bar or dumbbell handle: the One is 1.75", the Pro 2.25" and the Extreme 2.75". They are the cheapest and most portable way to train thick-bar grip.
- Axle bars. A fixed 2" bar, such as the IronMind axle, is the competition standard for axle lifts.
- Specialty implements. Arm Assassin's Inch/Axle Wrenches come in 2" and 2-3/8" diameters and are inspired by the Inch Dumbbell (vendor-armassassin). Fat Bastard Barbell makes custom thick bars (vendor-fatbastardbarbell). Vertical bars are another thick-handle test.
Exercises
- Deadlifts and rack pulls on a thick bar or with Fat Gripz.
- Holds at the top of the deadlift, for time.
- Farmer's walks and suitcase carries with thick handles.
- Rows, curls and pull-ups with attachments, which add grip work to existing training.
Loading and progression
Start much lighter than your normal deadlift and progress diameter as well as weight:
| Stage | Implement | Load | Sets | Reps or hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Fat Gripz One | 50 to 70% of normal deadlift | 3 to 4 | 5 to 8 reps, or 10 to 20 s holds |
| Intermediate | Fat Gripz Pro | 70 to 85% | 4 to 5 | 3 to 5 reps, or 20 to 40 s holds |
| Advanced | Fat Gripz Extreme or 2" axle | 85% and up | 5 to 6 | 1 to 3 reps, or 40+ s holds |
Rest generously between heavy sets, roughly 2 to 5 minutes as the loads rise. Thicker is not automatically better for training: the diameter you will compete on, or the one that limits your lifting, is the one to work on most.
Competition events
Axle events include the axle deadlift, axle hold for time, axle farmer's walk and the axle clean and press. One-hand and two-hand thick-bar deadlifts appear in many grip contests. See competition rules.
Rolling handles
A rolling handle spins around its own axis, so the load can roll out of the fingers as soon as the grip slackens. The hand has to hold constant tension through the whole lift rather than locking into a static position. That makes rolling handles a harsher test of support grip than a fixed bar of the same diameter, and very specific: strength on one handle transfers imperfectly to another.
Equipment
- Rolling Thunder (IronMind) is the reference implement: a 2-3/8" (60 mm) handle that rotates freely, loaded with plates and lifted with one hand. It is used in many federations. See Rolling Thunder.
- Napalm's Nightmare is Arm Assassin's rolling handle (vendor-armassassin).
- Other makers, including Fat Bastard Barbell, build rolling handles in different diameters, and budget homemade versions are often built from PVC pipe.
See rolling handles for a wider survey of designs.
Technique
Set the hand fully before the pull, with the handle centered. Start smoothly: a jerky start spins the handle out of the fingers before the lift begins. Keep the shoulders back, the back neutral and the wrist straight, and lower under control.
Loading and progression
The one-hand deadlift is the main exercise, supplemented by timed holds at the top and short carries. A sensible starting load on Rolling Thunder is 25 to 35 lb total. Progress in the same rep and hold ranges as thick-bar work above, starting around 50 to 70 percent of a comparable normal lift and moving up slowly. Train both hands.
Competition events
The Rolling Thunder one-hand deadlift is the main rolling-handle event. Holds for time and carries also appear. See competition prep.
Programming support work
In the beginner program, support work appears in both weekly sessions, at 3 sets of 10 to 20 second holds at first and heavier 8 to 15 second holds after the first month. It recovers well and reinforces the other grip types. Thick bars and rolling handles enter as the first variations in the third month. Intermediate lifters add the contest axle and rolling handle and may run a support-focused specialization block. Advanced lifters peak on the exact diameter and handle of the target contest (advanced program).
Schedule hard support work away from heavy deadlift days so the hands are fresh for both, and progress one variable at a time: weight, hold time or diameter.
Safety
Support work uses heavy loads, so the rest of the body has to be in position: neutral spine, core braced, shoulders back, no excessive leaning in carries. Load plates securely, check collars and pins, and clear the area so a dropped implement lands safely. Chalk reduces slipping and skin tears. Stop a hold before the grip fails into a sudden slip, and rest any elbow or wrist pain. See safety.